The Festival
by pepper6887
Summary: After years of pursuing her first love Inuyasha, Kagome loses interest...what happens when a certain Ookami prince takes a shot at her heart? Rated M for future chapters
1. Confrontations

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and I am in no way making a profit from this.

'Just a little bit farther and I'll be at the top.' Kagome thought as she heaved herself up the side of the well. It normally wouldn't have taken so much effort, but she had had to refill on supplies, and therefore her pack was twice as heavy as normal. With an exhausted yet determined smile she finally was able to hoist herself over the lip of the well, breathing heavily as she sunk to the ground. As she caught her breath she noticed something, or rather someone missing. _'Where's Inuyasha? I told him I was coming back today.'_ She thought, taking a moment to wipe her brow before surveying the area only to find that the hanyou was nowhere to be seen. Her brow furrowed as she came to the conclusion that she most likely knew where he was and as if on cue, Kagome noticed Kikyou's soul collectors just a few miles away. She let out an exasperated sigh as she rested her head against the well.

'_Of course he would ditch me to go meet with her, he always has, he could've at least come to help with me with my bag before going.'_ She thought almost sourly before she rationalized that no such thing would ever happen. She honestly didn't know why it had still bothered her, it had been almost four years since she came to this era and nothing had progressed. She had honestly started to lose interest in the hanyou as it became clearer to her each passing year that he would never feel the same way she felt, his morbid devotion to Kikyou should have been proof of that from the start. She sat there for a few more minutes until her arms and legs no longer felt like jelly before getting up and stretching her tired limbs then hoisted her heavy bag onto her shoulders. _'I am so going to need a nice long soak when I get to the village.'_ She thought, the fantasy of the hot springs soothing her sore muscles becoming her motivation as she trudged on. It had felt like forever before she had reached the village and a sigh of relief escaped her lips when she saw Shippo and Miroku coming to meet her.

"Kagome, where is Inuyasha? I thought he was supposed to meet you at the well." Miroku asked when they had met up. "I don't know, he wasn't there when I got here." She said. _'It wasn't exactly a lie I guess.'_ She added silently. Her friends knew of her decision to not pursue Inuyasha as a romantic interest anymore, but she knew that they still felt as the situation between him and Kikyou had bothered her. It still did bother her, but not as much as it had in the beginning, back when she would become an emotional wreck and cry for days feeling as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. The feeling was now little more than a slight throbbing, and for that she was glad. She rolled her shoulders and delighting in the feeling since Miroku had graciously offered to carry her bag the rest of the way. "So Miroku, why didn't Sango come with you guys?" She asked and he offered her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Kagome, Sango went home to her village, but she should return in a few days." He replied and she was slightly upset that she wouldn't have Sango to talk to in the hot spring. After they had arrived and Kagome handed out the supplies she grabbed her towel and bathing supplies before headed towards the hot springs. It would be getting dark soon and she didn't want to be wandering around in the nude at night.

When she found her way to the small body of water, she looked around quickly before slipping out of her clothes. She sighed in content as she slid into the heated water. She took a moment to let her tired muscles relax before lathering up her wash cloth and washing the days sweat and grime away. As she set to the task, she couldn't help but wonder why she was still here. Naraku had been defeated and the jewel completed, but for some reason she was able to still travel through the well. She didn't really have any duties in this era, none that would really affect the future at least. She figured that since she had spent so much time here that maybe it was just her destiny to be in this era, but what destiny was this? To be constantly heartbroken by the only man she had ever loved, tormented by his verbal abuse and the fact that she would never be good enough?

She let out an exasperated sigh when she felt the first pin pricks of tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes, inwardly cursing herself for letting her mind wander to such a depressing subject. Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself to calm down and closed her eyes, letting the warm water center her. After a few minutes she felt much better as she poured a small bit of her shampoo into her palm before lathering it into her hair, the gentle motions on her scalp relaxing her even further. She took a deep breath before plunging under the water to rid herself of the suds. When she was satisfied that her hair was finally free of soap, she peered around her, once again making sure she was alone before standing and grabbing for her towel, securely wrapping it around her. She hid behind a cluster of bushes to give her some sense of modesty as she dried herself off and pulled on some clean clothes.

She began to head back to the village as soon as she was done and was glad that she had thought of taking a flashlight just in case as it was just starting to get dark. She made it back to the village quickly enough and made quick work of setting up her sleeping area when she noticed that Inuyasha had returned and was now heading towards her. She quirked an eyebrow as he approached, looking miffed about something. "Why the hell weren't you at the well when I came to get you Kagome?" He demanded as if she were a child and she felt the anger bubble up inside of her as she stood. "Well Inuyasha, I could ask you the very same thing, indulging in a bit of necrophilia perhaps?" She said, her voice sickengly sweet and she held back a smirk as he went pale, though she wasn't sure if it was because she knew or if he was scared that she was going to 'sit' him.

"That's none of your business wench, I'll come and go as I please, I'm not at your beck and call." He sneered, suddenly finding his anger again. A dark look passed over her and he took a step back, taking a nervous gulp. She was about to sit him into oblivion for having the nerve to say something so hurtful when she noticed that his ears had gone flat against his head as he sniffed something, his face turning to a disgusted grimace. She was going to ask him what was wrong when she sensed two jewel shards and a familiar demonic aura. She tensed as the familiar whirlwind came into view, she didn't really want to keep those two from going after one another, she felt so emotionally drained today but unfortunately it was inevitable, she was going to have to do damage control. As per usual, Inuyasha moved so that he was shielding her from the wolf demon as he came skidding to a halt. She wasn't sure why he insisted on doing it, why did he care especially since he knew that Kouga would never hurt her. Then she thought maybe that was the exact reason why he did it. Rolling her eyes, she went around the hanyou and stood In front of him to prevent an attack.

"So, how is my woman doing tonight?" Kouga asked smoothly as he grabbed Kagome's tiny hands in his much larger ones. "I'm fine Kouga, how are you?" She asked pleasantly and he beamed radiantly. She would never admit it out loud but she loved it when he smiled, he looked so handsome. She figured that she must've been staring too long when Inuyasha wrenched them apart, putting himself between them and she was slightly disappointed, his hands were nice and warm. "Get outta here you stinkin' wolf! Kagome isn't yours and she never will be!" He yelled and Kagome felt her anger come back full force. "Inuyasha, sit." She commanded calmly as he plummeted face first into the dirt and Kagome took the opportunity to step over the hanyou and stood in front of the Ookami prince.

"Sorry about that Kouga." She said with an apologetic smile and Kouga grinned as he took her hands once again. "Oh Kagome you're very sweet, but you don't have to protect me from that mutt I can handle him." He said pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, effectively making her blush. "So, Kouga what brings you all the way out here?" She asked genuinely curious, it had been quite a while since he'd sought her out and when his expression took an air of seriousness to it she worried something may have happened to his pack. "Well Kagome, I would like you to come with me to my pack for the spring festival….um, if you'd like." He asked, adding on the last part sounding as if he'd lost his nerve. Kagome inwardly giggled at the thought of him being awkward, it was rather cute and she wondered how he would act around her without Inuyasha around. She smiled and was about to accept his offer when the subjugation beads had finally wore off. "Hell no she's not going with you! Her place is here with me!" Inuyasha spat out as he hefted himself out of the hanyou sized hole he had made and grabbed Kagome's arm, shoving her behind him.

'_How dare he?!' _ Kagome mentally screamed and proceeded to sit the hanyou once again. "You bitch! What the hell did you do that for?!" He yelled, glaring at her as much as the beads would let him. "You jerk! What makes you think that I belong to you or anybody for that matter? Especially when you've already chosen Kikyou?!" She yelled back and Kouga covered his sensitive ears at such close proximity to her. "Wench I haven't chosen anybody! Both of you are mine!" He declared boldly and at that Kagome's blood boiled, she couldn't take any more of this. "Inuyasha, you are the biggest jerk I've ever met! I've never been yours, nor will I ever be, I never want to see your face again!" She cried out, shaking out of Kouga's grasp and took off running. "You've really done it now mutt face." Kouga said, glaring down at the hanyou before taking off in the direction Kagome had gone. Kagome knew it was a stupid idea to go running off in the dark, but she had to be alone right now, she needed to think and calm down and she inwardly cursed when she felt Kouga hot on her heels. "Kagome, are you alright?" He asked as soon as he had caught up with her and she plopped down on the ground where she was, trying to hold back her tears. "I'll be fine Kouga I just wanna be alone for a little while." She said, her voice cracking as the tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"Well, I'm not leaving you alone out here." He said, his tone leaving no room for argument as he sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her when he noticed she was shivering. She moved closer to him, enjoying the warmth and silent comfort he offered. She continued to cry as quietly as she could, letting the anger and frustration leave her body. Soon her tears had turned into a series of sniffles and hiccups and Kouga smiled at how cute she sounded before letting his head rest on the crown of her head, taking in her scent. Kagome leaned further into him as it was beginning to get colder. She realized she'd never been this close to him when she breathed in and got a hint of his scent. After a few breaths she decided she liked the way he smelled, like the wind and the woods, and something just uniquely Kouga. "Comfy?" Kouga asked when she let out a small yawn before resting back against him and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle when she bolted upright, her face red and spurting apologies. "It's alright Kagome, there's nothing to be sorry for." He reassured her as she apologized for what seemed like the tenth time. She quieted down at this though her cheeks were still slightly flushed. "Would you like me to take you home?" He asked when she yawned again.

She shook her head no and he almost smacked himself when he realized what that would result in, he would not have his woman made even more upset because of dog breath. "I'm sorry Kagome, would you like to come with me until you figure out what you'd like to do?" He suggested and she looked up at him. "What about my bag? It has all of my stuff in it." She asked and Kouga stroked his chin as if contemplating something. "Well, we can get it tomorrow after the festival, uh I mean that is if you still wanted to go." He suggested nervously and Kagome almost slapped herself, she had completely forgotten about that. "Yeah, I-I'd like that." She replied quietly, almost shyly and she swore she had never seen someone smile so brightly, she'd never seen him so happy and she smiled back at him before a shiver went through her. "Come on, let's get you out of here before you get sick." Kouga said, picking her up bridal style before taking off like a rocket. Kagome let out a small yelp, she wasn't used to going this fast and it took a little bit for her to become accustomed to traveling at such a fast pace.

"Are you alright?" He asked when he smelled the faint scent of fear on her. "Yeah I'll be fine, I'm just not used to going this fast." She said and he slowed down a bit. "Is that better?" He asked and she nodded. "Thank you." She said and he gave a slight nod. It would take them a little bit longer to get to the pack at this pace, but he didn't mind all that much, Kagome's comfort mattered more to him at this point. It took them about an hour before they approached the large waterfall that signaled the entrance of Kouga's territory. He looked down to tell Kagome that they had arrived only to find that she had fallen asleep and his heart swelled at the thought that she trusted him so much to actually fall asleep in his arms. As they got closer to the caves Ginta and Hakkaku came to meet them. "Hey Kouga, what took you so long?" Ginta asked and Kouga shushed at him harshly before glancing down at Kagome to make sure she hadn't woken up.

"Sorry Kouga." He said sheepishly when Kouga had given him a hard stare. "So Sis decided to come with you after all, ne?" Hakkaku asked. "Way to point out the obvious idiot." Kouga said, keeping his voice low and Ginta snickered into his hand. Kouga went forward towards the caves, followed by the two wolves. When they reached the caves Kouga turned to Ginta and Hakkaku. "We are not to be disturbed unless it's an absolute emergency got it?" He warned and they stood straight and saluted him. "Got it." They confirmed in unison before turning into the main caves leaving Kouga and Kagome at the entrance of Kouga's private den. He felt glad for this, it was one of the perks of being the leader and he was sure Kagome would appreciate the privacy. He set Kagome down on a large pile of pelts, covering her with a blanket and he smiled as she snuggled into the warm fur before he set to work gathering some straw and some fur pelts, making a bed for himself. Although he wanted nothing more to crawl in next to her and wrap himself around her beautiful body, he highly doubted that she would be pleased with such an arrangement considering how innocent she was and had a habit of calling any male a hentai if she felt they were doing anything 'inappropriate'.

He did however position his makeshift bed within arm's length of her just in case. He stripped himself down until he was in nothing but his loin cloth and laid down covering himself with a blanket. He folded his hands behind his head and glanced over at Kagome, she had since rolled onto her tummy and was now facing him. Her hands were tucked under her as she snuggled further into the fur and he fought the urge to lay with her and bury his face in her neck just to fall asleep with her calming scent. He decided to roll onto his side, facing away from her when he began to reconsider his decision to sleep in separate bedding and tried to ignore the little contented sounds she would make every now and again. He growled in frustration when she mumbled out his name, it was going to be a very long night.


	2. Good Morning

Hey there lovelies! I have returned with awesomeness in tow. Enjoy!

Kagome awoke the next morning with her face snuggled into something warm and soft. She opened her eyes groggily to be met with a face full of fur. She frowned as she remembered what had transpired the night before and then an amused smile grew on her face as she glanced up and saw Kouga sprawled out eagle style on the pelt next to hers, mouth wide open and drooling onto the furs. She had to keep herself from laughing as he snored lightly. She noticed that his hair was down, and despite the comical sight before her, she thought he looked absolutely handsome with it down. Her eyes followed his hair down his back until it stopped just above his butt, which was luckily covered by a blanket and she noticed she couldn't see any evidence that he was wearing clothing. 'Did he really sleep naked?' She wondered and her face turned beet red as she began visualizing things that she shouldn't be in the presence of polite company, whether said company was conscious or not.

Her mouth suddenly went dry and she would've killed for something to drink at that moment. And as though the Kami's took pity on her, she noticed what looked like a bucket and ladle. Figuring that it wouldn't hurt to look, she got up and quietly made her way over to the bucket and to her delight it was filled with water. She quickly brought the ladle to her mouth, eagerly taking a sip and delighted at how cool and clean it tasted. At that moment her belly had decided to inform her that she was hungry and she blushed at just how loud it was. She quickly glanced behind her to make sure she hadn't woken Kouga, luckily she hadn't. After she pulled her socks and shoes back on she made her way over to what she assumed was the entrance and pushed the heavy pelt to the side and had to shield her eyes from the sun. She realized that she didn't know where to go from here since she had been to the den only once before and had only stayed in one place. She looked around at all the unfamiliar faces until she spotted Ginta hovering over a fire. She smiled and headed towards him and was about to poke him on the shoulder when he suddenly stood and turned, effectively startling her.

"Sorry Sis, are you okay?" He asked, putting his hands on her shoulders to help steady her. "Yeah I'm okay, thanks." She said with a smile and was about to ask if she could have something to eat when her belly beat her to the punch. She blushed fiercely and she offered a sheepish smile when Ginta struggled not to chuckle. "Here you can have some of mine Sis, it's really good." He said handing her what looked like beef jerky. She took a tentative bite of it and found that it was soft and absolutely delicious. "This is really good, what is it?" She asked before taking another bite and Ginta beamed at her. "It's smoked boar, I made it myself, I'm glad you like it, I can go get you some rice as well if you'd like." He answered, his voice proud at her approval. "Mm, yes please." Was her only answer and Ginta laughed lightly. "Okay Sis, I'll be right back, why don't you go sit by the fire and get warm." He suggested and she nodded in agreement, it was pretty chilly. She sat and continued to nibble at the boar thoughtlessly when she felt something being draped over her shoulders. She looked at the fur shawl and then behind her to see that Kouga had finally woken up. He had his fur pelt on around his waist, his customary wrist and leg wrappings and his hair was loosely tied up and in place of his usual armor, he wore a fur pelt draped over his shoulders. She couldn't help but stare he looked so different, he looked so…relaxed. She was brought out of her musings when he had made his way to sit beside her. "Good morning, you want some? Ginta made it, it's really good." She said, offering him the meat, trying to fight off a blush. He chuckled and slung an arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer to him, effectively making her blush even more.

"Don't worry about me love, you go ahead and eat, I'll grab something in a little bit." He said, his voice still a bit husky from sleep. She was about to say something else when Ginta had come back balancing 3 bowls of rice and some dumplings. "Figured you'd be getting up soon, here you go." He said, handing Kouga and Kagome their respective bowls before sitting down to enjoy his own breakfast. "Here Kagome, try a dumpling, they're pretty good." Kouga offered, picking up one of the pastries and handing it to her. She took it graciously and took a bite and was surprised when she bit into fruit instead of meat. Her surprise must've shown on her face when Ginta informed her that the filling was peach and pear before asking her if she liked it. "It's delicious, I'm sorry, I was kind of expecting it to be a meat dumpling." She said and the two wolves shared an amused glance before laughing slightly and Kagome felt confused, had she said something funny? Kouga shot her an apologetic smile while Ginta had gone back to eating. "Sorry Kagome, I didn't mean to laugh, but just because we're wolves doesn't mean we only eat meat." He explained and Kagome blushed suddenly feeling stupid for assuming. She muttered an apology as though she had offended him and silently went back to eating. Kouga was confused about her silence until he noticed the blush on her cheeks and she looked almost as if she wanted to cry. Had he embarrassed her? He wasn't sure but he vowed to get her out of her slump and show her the best time that he possibly could, hell maybe if she was in a good enough mood she may accept his proposition.

They had finished the rest of their breakfast in silence before Kouga stood and reached out his hand for Kagome to take it. She took his hand as she stood and she blushed a bit when her arm brushed against his chest. "Kagome the festival is probably going to run late into the night, would you like me to take you to get your things now instead or did you want to wait?" He asked and she smiled. 'He's so thoughtful.' She thought before actually contemplating what he said. She needed to brush her hair, she could feel the snarls in it when she tried running her fingers through it earlier, and a bit of deodorant wouldn't hurt either. "Um it's okay if we go now I guess." She said and he nodded before excusing himself and headed towards his den, emerging a few minutes later with his armor back in it's place. "Ready to go?" He asked her and she nodded before he kneeled down so she could climb onto his back. Once she was settled he took off, leaping gracefully from cliff to cliff until he was on solid ground and took off running. He made a conscious effort to not go as fast as he normally would for Kagome's sake as he made his way towards Edo.

The trip there was a mostly silent one, since neither could think of anything to really talk about, but other than that Kagome found it rather pleasant. Riding on Kouga's back was much more comfortable than it was with Inuyasha since he didn't go bounding through the wilderness with heavy footsteps that made her feel as if she were going to fall off. Kouga was not all too surprisingly light on his feet and he held her tightly against him, making her feel secure as she leaned against him, she didn't really even need to hold onto his shoulders if she didn't want to. Kouga smiled as she relaxed against him, he was glad she was comfortable. He'd noticed that whenever the mutt would carry her like this she always seemed to look concerned for her safety and he could smell fear on her and he couldn't blame her the mutt ran like an elephant, you'd be able to see him coming a mile away from the vibrations alone. He stopped a couple miles away when he smelled Inuyasha's scent and he turned his head to look at her as she crooned her neck to look him in the face. "What's wrong Kouga?" She asked, slightly curious. "I can smell dog breath from here, do you want me to get your things so you don't have to deal with him?" He asked and she shook her head with a small smile, flattered by his concern. "It's okay Kouga, I'm gonna have to deal with him eventually." She said and he nodded and headed towards the village.

When they got there the hanyou was nowhere in sight, but Kouga could tell he was close and once he caught their scents he'd be here in no time. Kagome headed into Kaede's hut where she left her things and began stuffing her bag while Kouga waited patiently just outside. Kagome was done in no time at all and she came out of the hut with her pack slung over her shoulder and was about to leave when Inuyasha came bounding out of the forest. "There you are, I knew you'd come back eventually, so are you finally tired of the flea bag?" He sneered and Kouga growled at the insult, but Kagome placed her hand on his arm and he did his best to calm himself as Kagome turned giving him a sort of bored look before ordering him to sit, causing him to crash face first into the ground. "Let's go Kouga, I don't know about you but I really don't want to miss the festival." She said, looking quite proud of herself and Kouga nodded taking her bag from her and slinging it over his shoulder as he picked her up bridal style and headed back the way they came, leaving the hanyou to grumble profanities into the dirt.

As they made their way back to the den, Kouga couldn't help but look down at the young woman in his arms. He was concerned about just how she would handle the mutt being near, but she had surprised him. Not only had she kept him calm, but she never even bat an eyelash at the hanyou, even though he had tried to degrade her and insulted him. His feisty little woman was stronger than she knew and he was very proud of her, she would make a wonderful alpha female one day if she ever accepted him. "Hey Kouga, what goes on at this festival anyway?" She asked curiously and he wondered if he should tell her the complete purpose of the celebration. Figuring that she was more than likely going to find out the truth by the very nature of the festival itself, he decided to tell her everything. "Well, to be honest, it's meant to celebrate the spring, crops and animals becoming more fruitful, and fertility." He said, hesitating on that last part as he gaged her reaction. She looked thoughtful before looking up at him. "Fertility huh? You're not planning anything sneaky on me are you?" She said, her voice having an almost teasing air to it and he chuckled. "Not unless you want me to." He said with a wink and grinned in triumph when she blushed prettily. The rest of the trip was relatively quiet and as they approached the Cliffside, their stomachs began to rumble in response to the delicious smells coming from the den. They blushed before laughing it off as they hurried home to enjoy the festivities that were obviously already under way.


	3. Festivities

Hello lovelies! I hope you've enjoyed this story so far…I'm not sure how long it's going to be, I'm pretty much riding on my coattails at the moment so I guess we'll just see how it goes. ;)

Kagome could hardly contain the saliva that threatened to overflow as she stared at the spread before her, she had never seen a dinner so plentiful in her life. There were at least half a dozen make shift tables overflowing with all sorts of goodies. There were a couple tables dedicated to just meat, and some with just fruits and vegetables, and there was another piled high with various breads and pastries. She was trying to decide what she should try first when she was grabbed from behind and spun around to face two young female wolf demons. "You need to come with us Sister, we need to get you ready for Kouga!" One of the females informed her quite excitedly and took her hand guiding her to one of the smaller dens. "Wait, what do you mean I need to get ready for Kouga? What's going on?" Kagome asked, suddenly suspicious of Kouga's intentions, wriggling herself free from the young woman's grasp. They stopped when she did and turned to look at her apologetically and Kagome was able to get a good look at them. She noted that the both of them were absolutely beautiful. The one who had grabbed her looked about her age and her face had an almost pixie like roundness to it that was framed by her long wavy brown hair. The other girl looked to be a few years older and stood an inch or two above her. She was more slender than the other girl and it showed in her slightly angular face. Her hair was a dark brown that looked almost black and was tied into a high ponytail. Both of their eyes were almond shaped and had a bright yellowish green color to them that reminded Kagome of cat's eyes. "It's alright Sister, Ginta and Hakkaku asked us to do this, you see Kouga is planning on asking you to court with him." The younger girl said before slapping a hand over her mouth as if it were a secret. "Good job Suki, it was supposed to be a surprise!" The older one said and Suki looked sheepish as she offered an apologetic smile at Kagome. "I'm sorry Sister, we didn't mean to keep this from you, but Kouga really did want it to be a surprise. I'm Yumi by the way." She said with a smile and Kagome smiled back, now a little more at ease.

She mulled over the thought of courting Kouga, it was the same thing as dating wasn't it? It didn't sound like such a bad idea, but she didn't know what courting a demon was supposed to be like. All she knew was that demon courting was most likely very different than courting a human and she found herself suddenly quite nervous, she didn't want to offend him with her ignorance like this morning. "So how does this whole courting thing work?" She asked after a few more moments and the two females shared a glance and a smile before looking back at her. "Well, it's pretty simple really. If you decide to accept his request, he has to prove that he can protect you, provide for you, gain your affection, satisfy you in any number of ways, basically he has to prove himself worthy of being your mate." Yumi explained, ignoring the slight blush that was creeping up on Kagome's cheeks. 'What does she mean by he has to satisfy me? She doesn't mean THAT does she?' Kagome thought to herself, growing redder as her mind went through a number of particularly steamy situations. "Oh don't worry about that Kagome, Kouga won't do any such things to you unless you agree to accept his claim as your mate." Suki piped in, noticing her distress and Kagome suddenly snapped back to attention. "What do you mean by accepting his claim?" She asked and Suki was about to elaborate when Yumi cut her off.

"Okay, when Kouga feels that the time is right, he'll ask you if you want to be his mate and you can either accept or refuse his offer. If you accept, then he has a claim on you and vice versa, that means that no male can try to court and/or try to mate with you and the same thing goes with Kouga." She explained and Kagome formed a small 'o' with her mouth, signaling that she understood. Mulling this new information over in her head gave Kagome the thought that letting Kouga court her might be nice, maybe she'd even end up being happy for once. "I think I'm going to give it a try." She said, voicing her thoughts with a small smile and her companions smiled at her as well and Suki took her eagerly by the hand, leading her into one of the smaller dens and as they went a thought struck Kagome. "I don't mean to pry, but are either one of you mated?" She asked curiously. "That would be me." Yumi announced, linking her arm with Kagome's as they entered the den. "What about you Suki?" She asked as the younger wolf let her go and began sifting through a pile of furs. "Not yet, I am courting though, but hopefully he'll ask me soon." She said, her voice having a dreamy air to it.

Kagome guessed he had to be a good guy to make her swoon as she did, but before she could ask the name of her suitor she'd pulled out a deer hide dress with a squeal of triumph and threw it in Kagome's direction. "Here put that on, you'll look gorgeous in it! Kouga won't be able to take his eyes off of you!" She said conspiratorially before rummaging through the furs once again and pulled out a fur cape and some deer skin slippers. "Here you should put these on too since it'll probably be a little chilly." She said, handing them to Kagome. She thanked her before finding a corner for herself to change. She stripped quickly and began to pull on the dress before realizing that she would need someone to help her lace up the back and Yumi seeing her dilemma was behind her in an instant working with quick fingers. Kagome noticed that the dress was just a tad small in her chest area, giving her a slight amount of cleavage and the way Yumi grinned at this told her that that had most likely been the plan. The dress came just above her knees and there were slits on both sides that stopped mid-thigh to give her greater flexibility. She was glad for the cape that Suki had given her since the dress had tank sleeves, that and it mostly kept her cleavage from view. It had gone down to just above her bottom and she was glad that it didn't feel too heavy. Once she had slipped on her slippers Yumi guided her over to a pile of pelts and sat her down before reaching over and grabbing what looked like a small paint brush and a tablet with a bit of green paste on it. Kagome was about to ask what it was for when she dipped the brush into the paste, instructing her to close her eyes as she did so. Kagome did as she was told and felt a line of the cool paste being drawn onto her eyelids and she was vaguely worried since she had never worn make up from this era before and briefly wondered if she would have an adverse reaction to the stuff. Kagome opened her eyes when Yumi announced that she was finished and Suki set immediately to braiding her hair and she could feel things being woven into her hair and she figured they were probably the ribbons that she had seen lying there just moments before. Soon her hair was done and the two wolf demons stepped back admiring their handy work.

"So, how do I look?" Kagome asked self-consciously when neither female spoke. "Wow, you look amazing Sis, Kouga isn't gonna know what hit him." Came a male voice and they all turned to see Ginta. Kagome smiled and was about to greet him when he walked up to Yumi, nuzzling his nose against hers before giving her an affectionate peck on the lips. "I didn't know you were mated Ginta…uh congratulations!" Kagome offered awkwardly, not completely believing what she had seen and Ginta and Yumi just smiled at her. "We've been mated for quite a while, but thank you anyway sister." Yumi offered and Kagome fought down another blush, feeling embarrassed once again. The older female sensed her discomfort and shooed him out before taking Kagome's hand, giving it a comforting pat. "It's okay Sister, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, you didn't know." She said, wrapping an arm around her and rubbed her back and Kagome offered a sheepish smile, she really did have to start taking things less personally. She never noticed that Suki had left the space until she had come back with an ensemble of her own looking absolutely beautiful before announcing that they should be setting back out into the main cave before they missed all the fun. Kagome smiled, agreeing whole heartedly as her two new friends led her out of the den. They had soon dispersed, both females going to their respective mates and courtiers, leaving Kagome to search for Kouga on her own. She wandered about shyly, staying away from the males as they called out to her with lecherous whistles when suddenly a plate full of food was held in front of her and a strong arm snaked its way around her waist. She was about to glare at the guy with enough nerve to invade her personal space when he spoke, his smooth baritone instantly calming her. "I've been looking for you everywhere, you look beautiful, did you do all this for me?" He asked her smoothly and she blushed as she looked up at him, remembering what Yumi and Suki had told her of his intentions. "Hi Kouga, sorry I didn't mean to make you worried." She said softly taking the plate from him, offering her thanks and blushed when he buried his nose in her hair, her scent calming him instantly. "So, what should we do first?" Kouga asked, sensing her nervousness. "Um, I'm not sure, what is there to do?" Kagome asked, picking at a piece of meat and popping it in her mouth. "Well, there's a spot where some of the cubs and females make things to trade if you want to go check that out." He offered and she smiled with a nod. "I think I'd like that." Kouga nodded and took her hand, leading the way.

"What the hell did you say to her Inuyasha?!" Sango demanded angrily and Inuyasha just turned his head, his nose up in the air looking more like a stubborn child than anything else. "You heard what I said wench, I told her they were both mine and she got pissed and left with that stinkin' wolf." He said after a moment when he had grown irritated that Sango kept staring at him. "You're an idiot Inuyasha." Shippo piped in from atop Sango's shoulder. "Shut up runt!" Inuyasha growled, preparing to go after the fox kit when Sango took on a defensive stance. "You leave him alone Inuyasha, you really are an idiot for saying something like that to her, she's not just a toy that you can decide to bother with whenever you please!" Sango said angrily, her patience growing extremely thin. "Now now, we should all just calm down for a bit. We all know Inuyasha can be rather insensitive when it comes to Kagome's feelings and his actions were rather uncalled for, but Kagome did make the decision to leave and we should respect that decision. Besides, she's with Kouga, she's as safe as she can possibly be with him." Miroku reasoned, coming between the two of them, speaking to Sango more than anyone else as she glared at the hanyou from over Miroku's shoulder. "You're right, she'll be fine." She said after a moment, taking a deep breath and turned to go back into her hut. "Keh, I'll give her a couple days, she'll realize who the better man is and come crawling back just like she always does." Inuyasha stated smugly and Sango tensed, doing her best to ignore the comment. 'I'm sure she will realize who the better man is Inuyasha, and it definitely won't be you.' Sango thought once she had gone inside and made herself comfortable. "I miss Kagome, I wish we could see her." Shippo said sadly as he crawled into Sango's lap and Kilala soon joined them, trying to cheer up her friends. "I know Shippo, I miss her too." She said, looking at the two small demons resting in her lap. "You know that we could go and see her if we really wished to. There is a festival taking place in Kouga's tribe. Even if we went just to check up on Kagome, I'm sure Kouga wouldn't mind the intrusion and Kagome would definitely appreciate the gesture." Miroku offered, over hearing the conversation when he entered the hut and Sango looked up at him, clearly thinking over her options. After a few moments, Sango smiled and stood, holding Shippo and Kilala in her arms. "Well what are we waiting for then? Let's go see how our girl is doing!" Sango said, her mood going up considerably by the moment. They were soon on their way towards the wolf's territory, leaving Inuyasha sulking in a nearby tree.

"This is amazing, I haven't had this much fun in a long time!" Kagome said and Kouga could hear the laughter in her voice, he was glad she was having such a good time, he missed seeing her smile. They sat on a nearby hill, a half-eaten plate between them as they went over their haul. Kagome had no idea there were so many talented artisans that were in Kouga's clan as she held up a small necklace made of tiny shells, no doubt collected by the river than ran close to the cave system. "Do you need some help with that?" Kouga asked with an amused smile as Kagome attempted to put the necklace on by herself. "Yes please." She said after a moment, growing a bit frustrated with it's ties. He took the necklace from her and moved behind her as she moved her hair to the side. He tied it easily and she turned to face him ad she grew confused as he just stared at her, looking completely dumbfounded. "Is something wrong?" She asked, waving her hand in front of his face. "Oh, yeah I'm fine sorry about that. It looks really good on you." He said after a moment, seeming to snap out of it and Kagome blushed lightly at the compliment. 'I could really get used to this.' Kagome thought with a smile, taking a bit of fruit and popping it into her mouth. 'That was close, she almost caught me.' Kouga thought to himself, watching her eat. He couldn't help but stare at her moments before when she had turned around. The delicate string of shells complimented her pale skin to the point where she seemed to glow with their beauty and they had fallen just above the swell of her breasts, giving him an eyeful of her modest cleavage and he was glad for whoever had given her that cape, it kept him out of trouble at the very least.

"You want some?" Kagome asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. As he was about to accept the food she was handing to him he snapped his head to the east when he caught the familiar scent of Kagome's pack. He wasn't sure if the mutt was with them, his scent was drenched all over theirs and he inwardly groaned as he faced the possibility of having to fighting dog-breath. Kagome had seemed to notice as she looked in the direction Kouga had been sniffing. "You're pack is coming." He stated matter-of-factly when she shot him a questioning look. Kagome's confusion soon turned to slight distress. What if Inuyasha was with them? Would he try to pick a fight? Kagome sighed, of course he would, it was just how he was. "Is he with them?" She finally asked him when she could finally see them on the horizon. "I don't think so, his scent is there but it isn't strong enough to be him." He said, cocking his head towards her and Kagome nodded feeling relieved. It took a few more minutes to reach them and when Kilala had finally touched down Sango had immediately hopped off and went over to Kagome, pulling her into a tight hug, taking Kagome completely by surprise. "Are you alright Kagome? I made Inuyasha tell me what happened, I'm so sorry." She said when she pulled away, offering Kagome a sympathetic smile. "It's ok Sango, it was bound to happen eventually, and who knows it might be a blessing in disguise." She reassured her friend with a small smile and Sango gave her a curious look but before Kagome could explain, Shippo had scrambled up Sango's body, using her shoulder as leverage to launch himself into Kagome's arms. "Kagome! I'm so happy you're okay, I missed you so much!" The little fox kit cried, nuzzling his face into Kagome's shoulder, his tiny hands grasping her shirt. She smiled warmly at the sight he had made, sometimes she could forget just how young and vulnerable he was until moments like this. She returned the hug whole-heartedly, her fingertips rubbing his tiny back with soothing strokes all the while apologizing for worrying him and telling him she had missed him as well. Sango, Miroku, and Kouga looked on and Kouga was in awe at how motherly she was to the little kit before his face blossomed into a smile. He knew she had a kind soul, it was one of the reason's he'd fallen for her, but for her to take in an orphaned child, especially a demon and care for it as her own proved that the depth of her kindness was practically bottomless. And then he imagined her with a swollen belly as they expected their first of many pups, almost regretting the scene as he felt himself growing aroused at the mere thought of it and fought back a growl.

Sorry about the delay guys! With random bouts of writer's block and preggy moments galore, it's been kinda hard to get this one out…but I promise the next chappie is on it's way and keep those reviews coming! They help inspire to get off my butt and keep writing ;)


	4. Proposal

Hey there guys! Thanks for all of your awesome support I hugs all of you and present to you the next bout of awesomeness…enjoy^_^

"Wow Kagome, you look really pretty!" Shippo commented while they were heading back to the den. "Thank you Shippo, that's very sweet of you." Kagome replied with a smile and the little fox kit just beamed. "So Kagome what did you mean earlier about this being a blessing in disguise?" Sango asked, her voice low. "I'll tell you when we get there, promise." Kagome said in the same hushed tone and Sango nodded, her curiosity piqued even further. As they were talking, Miroku and Kouga followed not too far behind and though the monk didn't say too much, that suited Kouga just fine, he was curious as to what his Kagome and the slayer were talking about. He almost wanted to listen in further on their conversation, but it seemed that Kagome wasn't giving out any more information. He decided to let it go for now, she might decide to tell him about it later on. He kept walking with the monk, listening to the two women chatter idly about the slayer's family and the village back in Edo and before too long, they had finally reached the entrance to the den. "Feel free to help yourselves to some food and festivities." Kouga offered to the group when they had come into the main den and apart from Kagome, all of their jaws had almost touched to ground, causing Kagome to giggle. "Don't worry I had the same reaction." She told them when they shot her a questioning glance. "I'm sorry Kouga, we thank you for your hospitality, we'd be glad to join the festivities." He offered jovially and made his way towards the large buffet. Shippo wiggled out of Kagome's grasp and quickly caught up to Miroku, scrambling up onto his shoulder and he tried his best not to drool at all the delicious smells. Kagome smiled at the sight, it had been a while since they'd had a meal this good and she was glad that they would be able to indulge.

She had almost expected Sango to join them but she just grabbed Kagome by the arm, leading her somewhere to speak in private and after taking a quick look to make sure they hadn't been followed, she looked at Kagome expectantly. "So, what's going on with you?" She asked and was quite confused when all Kagome offered was a smile. "Kouga's gonna ask me to court with him." She finally said after a moment and Sango looked surprised, she thought she was still hung up on Inuyasha. "How do you know? Are you sure about this, and what about Inuyasha? I thought you still had feelings for him." Sango questioned, she didn't want her friend to get into something that she might not be ready for. "What about Inuyasha? It's been a long time since I've felt that way towards him. I'm tired of being unhappy all the time, you see how he treats me and I think I deserve to be happy and stop being such a bleeding heart." She said, letting her true feelings out and Sango was blown away, Kagome was never this open with her feelings. "Alright, but that still doesn't explain how you know that Kouga's wants to court you? Did he already ask you?" She asked and Kagome shook her head. "I found out when a couple of the wolves came to help me get changed and one of them accidentally let it slip. I guess it was supposed to be a surprise, so Kouga doesn't know that I know." She said and Sango nodded, suddenly understanding before her face blossomed into a smile. "So, what are you going to tell him?" She asked, already knowing the answer. "I think I'm gonna go for it, I think it would be nice." She said with a small smile and Sango pulled her into a brief hug. "I'm happy for you Kagome, you're right you do deserve to be happy and I think Kouga is the perfect one to do that." She said with a smile and was about to say something else when they heard a shriek followed by a resounding slapping sound. "Looks like I'm gonna have to go keep an eye on that pervert." Sango said with an exhasperated sigh before excusing herself to go find Miroku. Kagome hung back for a little bit before trying to find Kouga, wandering about among the crowd, a dreamy smile on her face. As she was trying to find him, Kouga was leaning against the cave wall, a smile plastered on his face. So she knew huh? In all honesty, he hadn't been trying to eavesdrop but they hadn't gone far enough and he could still hear them, despite the chattering of the crowds around him. He'd been ecstatic when she revealed that she no longer held feelings for the mutt and he'd felt as though he could jump for joy when she said that she had actually wanted to court him and finally he felt too giddy to actually stay in one spot so he pushed himself off the wall and made his way through the crowds to find her.

After a bit of searching, Kagome decided that it was too hard to find one person in this huge crowd, so she just made her way to one of the large buffet tables to grab something to drink. She looked about, but she couldn't really find anything that she wanted, a lot of what was there was sake and other types of alcohol that she didn't recognize. "You should try this, it's good and it'll keep you warm." Kouga suggested, suddenly appearing beside her, grabbing a cup and filling it with a steaming red liquid. He handed it to her and she took a small sip of it, letting the flavors dance on her tongue. It tasted of berries, honey, and ginger and it made her mouth tingle with the warmth of it before taking another sip and savoring how it made her chest feel warm as she swallowed. "So I guess you saved me the trouble of trying to find you." Kagome said after a moment and Kouga just chuckled at her. "It seems like I'm the one who keeps finding you." He replied, grabbing some of the drink for himself before leading her away to a less occupied section of the cave. "So, would you be angry with me if I said that I accidentally over heard what you said to your friend?" He asked cautiously and Kagome looked at him skeptically before shaking her head slightly. "I guess I'd only be angry if you listened in on purpose." She said after a moment and Kouga offered her a lop sided grin and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. "So then you already know what I'm going to say, right?" He asked and Kagome felt her heart speed up. "Yeah, and you already know what I'm gonna say." She answered with a smile, trying to keep her voice calm. "I'd still like to hear you say it." He said teasingly. "I'd still like to hear you ask me." She replied without skipping a beat and he smiled once again, well if that was the way she wanted it… "Alright, Kagome would you do me the honor of allowing me to court you?" He asked, his voice having a teasing air to it and Kagome tried not to laugh as he tried to be formal. "Yes Kouga, I'd love to court with you." She replied, her tone teasing as well and he smiled brightly, pulling her into a tight hug. "You have no idea how happy you've just made me, thank you." He said softly in her ear and she smiled, wrapping her arms around him and they simply stayed like that for a few more minutes before Hakkaku had accidentally bumped into the couple, making Kouga spill his drink onto Kagome and himself. "Shsorry Bosshs, hey Kagsome, you looking good iz." He slurred, obviously drunk, before collapsing against a nearby wall singing happily as he took another swig from the jug in his hand. Kagome giggled at the sight, she'd never seen any of her friends quite so drunk and it was rather comical, her chest however was now feeling a bit sticky since a good amount of the liquid had gone down her dress. "Are you alright Kagome?" Kouga asked after giving Hakkaku an amused look. "Yeah I'm fine, but I'm gonna need a bath, I'm all sticky." She said, trying to keep her dress from sticking to her, she hoped it wasn't ruined, she'd feel horrible if she had to give it back to Suki destroyed because of a mistake. "Alright, do you know which way to go to get back to my den?" He asked and she nodded. "What about Sango and Miroku? I should probably go tell them where I'm going." She said and began scanning the area for her friends. "It's alright I'll find them for you, just go back to the den, there's a hot spring near the back." He told her and she nodded before reaching up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Thanks Kouga." She said and began to make her way through the crowd with Kouga following her until he spotted her pack. He waited until she'd made it into his den without any further incident before coming closer. "Hey Kouga, have you seen Kagome?" Sango asked when she noticed him coming. "Yeah, she got something spilled on her so she went to go take a bath." He explained and she nodded in understanding. "Can you tell her that we said good bye, we really should be getting back before it gets too dark." She asked and he nodded. "I will." He said and she seemed content with his answer. "Thank you Kouga, for everything." She said with a smile and he smiled back at her, understanding the hidden meaning behind her words. "You're very welcome I hope you and your pack have a safe trip home slayer." He said and Sango just smirked at him. "I have a name you know, it's Sango." She said teasingly as she hopped on Kilala's back along with Shippo and Miroku before they took off towards Edo. He waited until they were no longer visible on the horizon before heading back to his den, standing in front of the large pelt, keeping a cautious eye on the young males just in case they had any sneaky ideas.

Once Kagome had slid past the large pelt that blocked off Kouga's den from the rest of the tribe, she scanned the area just in case anyone wandered in on accident. When she was satisfied that she was alone, she went over to her bag searching through its contents in search of her bathing supplies and a clean set of clothes. Once she'd found them, she headed to the back of the cave and just like Kouga had said, there was a nice steamy hot spring waiting for her. She quickly set to work removing her shawl and slippers. Once they were off, she set to undoing her hair, pulling out the strands of ribbon and setting them to the side and she was about to set to work taking off her dress when she realized that she would need someone to unlace the back for her. She simply stood there for a few moments contemplating her options. She could try and find either Suki or Yumi to help her, or maybe even Sango if she was still here, she had recalled that on the way back to the den Sango had told her that they would be leaving before nightfall. If she couldn't find any of them, that left only one person, Kouga. She blushed fiercely at the thought of him seeing any part of her unclothed, but that would be her very last choice if she had any say in things. She decided to try her luck and made her way to the entrance, pushing the heavy pelt aside only to be met by Kouga's back. "Oh, you're done already?" He asked turning around, only to see that she still had her dress on. "Um, have you seen Sango?" She asked quietly and he wondered what was wrong, she seemed embarrassed. "No, she's left with the rest of your pack, she said to tell you good bye." He said and she nodded in acknowledgement. "What about Yumi or Suki?" She asked again and Kouga looked a bit confused. "I saw them a bit earlier, but they were passed out cold. Was there something you needed?" He asked and Kagome did her best to hold back a frustrated groan, was it really going to come to this? She thought and she looked up at Kouga, who still seemed to be confused and she blushed hotly at what she was about to ask him. "My dress is laced all the way up the back, I can't get out of it by myself." She said, hoping he would catch on without her actually having to say it. "So what do you need me to do?" He asked and she swore he was messing with her, it should've been pretty obvious, it was to her at least. "Since there's no one else, I need you to help me take my dress off." She said after hesitating a moment and kept her head down so he wouldn't see just how red she thought she was, she could swear her face was on fire. Kouga was speechless at her request, had she really just asked him to help her undress? He looked down at her and he never saw her so red before, she was blushing all the way down to her chest and he had to divert his eyes to keep himself from staring at her chest. "Will you just say something?" She requested impatiently when he didn't say anything and she felt him hook a finger under her chin to guide her face upwards. "There's no need to be embarrassed, I'll help you and I won't even look if you don't want me too." He said reassuringly and that seemed to satisfy her as she nodded slightly before turning back into the cave. He moved the pelt aside and followed her in as she moved towards the spring. She stopped as soon as she was close to the water and moved her hair to the side without turning to look at him. He felt her jump when he reached out to untie the necklace she'd forgotten before handing it to her and she took it from him stiffly. He felt bad for her, she was so tense and she smelled so nervous. "It's alright Kagome you can relax, I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to." He reassured her, as he gently caressed her arms and it seemed to work as he watched her muscles relax slightly but he could still smell her nervousness. He supposed he couldn't blame her, he could smell her purity and he guessed she'd never been in a situation like this before. He decided to make quick work of undoing the ties and ease her nerves at the very least. He heard her take sharp intakes of breath every time his fingers brushed against her flesh and he swore her scent held the slight spiciness of arousal and he did his best to ignore it and kept on working. Soon enough he was done and her dress began to slide down her body, her arms the only thing keeping it on her. He decided he should get out of there before he got himself in trouble and quickly excused himself.

Once she was sure that Kouga had left the cave, she let the dress fall onto the floor, stepping out of it and eased herself into the hot water, sighing as the heat began to relax her. She was glad that was over, she didn't want to admit it out loud, but it felt really nice everytime Kouga had touched her, it even kind of turned her on and she hoped that Kouga hadn't noticed. If he did he didn't say anything about it and for that she was glad, she didn't know if she could deal with anymore embarrassment today. She sunk further into the water, resting her head against a large rock. After a few minutes, she reached for her soap and washcloth and began to lather herself up, washing the sticky liquid from her body. Once she was done she relaxed in the water once again and stretched her arms and legs, reveling in the sensation. She soaked for a while longer until her fingertips were wrinkled and she got out and shivered when a cool breeze whisped past her and she wrapped herself securely in the towel, drying off quickly and dressing even faster. She grabbed her brush out of her bag and sat down on the pelts and began to run the brush through her hair and the action soothed her and her eye had begun to feel heavy. "Are you done in there Kagome? I'm coming in." Kouga announced as he slipped inside the cave and sat next to her. "Have you been outside this whole time?" She asked as he stretched his arms and legs, groaning as he did so. "Yup." Was his only answer and Kagome stared at him in disbelief. "Kouga why would you do that? I had to have been in there for at least an hour." She said and he took the brush away from her with a smile. "Can I?" He asked, gesturing to her hair and she nodded after a moment and he began to run the brush through her hair again. "You still didn't answer my question." She stated and he chuckled. "Can't get anything past you can I? Well if you really want to know, I didn't want anyone coming in and bothering you." He said and she smiled at his confession, she found it sweet and flattering that he would take such steps to ensure her privacy. "Thank you, though you didn't have to stay there the whole time. I'm pretty sure you're sore right now." She said after a moment and turned as soon as he was done. He smiled and leaned forward, nuzzling his nose against hers, making her blush for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "You don't have to worry about me love, I don't mind doing it." He said and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She was about to say something else when she yawned and she felt her eyelids droop slightly. "Sorry." She said before yawning again and he simply smiled at her before placing a kiss on her forehead. "Go to sleep love, it's been a long day." He suggested and she nodded drowsily as he helped her into a lying position and he pulled a blanket over her. "G'night." She said softly as he made his way towards the entrance. "Good night." He answered before going back out into the main cave. It was starting to get dark and the access food and drink would have to be stored before most of the couples took off to further 'celebrate'. He frowned as he saw that a good portion of his wolves were passed out, it looked like he wasn't going to be able to join Kagome any time soon. He sighed before calling all of the able wolves to attention and set to work cleaning up.

I am soooo proud of myself right now…I just finished the whole chapter in one sitting, that hasn't happened in a long time and now I remember why, considering my neck hurts and my butt is numb but that's okay I'd rather make you guys happy


	5. Cuddly Confessions

It was well after sun down when they had returned to Kaede's hut after leaving the wolf's den. Shippo was curled up in Sango's arms, a few cakes securely clutched in the small kit's grasp. Sango and Miroku dismounted from Kilala's back and fire neko transformed back into her smaller form.

The small group all huddled into Kaede's hut, feeling quite tired out from the evening's festivities. "I trust you've had a good evening." Kaede offered when she laid her eyes on her guests. "It was a very good evening Lady Kaede, thank you." Miroku replied and Sango nodded in agreement.

She set Shippo down on her futon and pried the cakes from his tiny hands and he put up a bit of resistance before surrendering them to her and she smiled at the fox kit. He was soon joined by Kilala, snuggling up by his side succumbing to blissful slumber.

"Where's Inuyasha?" She asked when she noticed that he was not there. "I know not child, he left a few hours before ye arrived." Kaede said, taking the cakes from Sango and placed them on the small table before heading for her own futon. "You and the monk should get some sleep as well child, I have a feeling that tomorrow will be quite eventful."

Sango nodded in agreement, though she wasn't so sure about how she would be able to sleep with Shippo and Kilala taking up most of her futon and she didn't want to wake them unnecessarily. Behind her, she heard Miroku clear his throat to get her attention, obviously noticing her dilemma.

"Oh no you don't monk. You must think I'm stupid if you think I'll agree to lay in the same bed as you." She said accusingly when she turned to face him and his eyes darted from his futon and back to her. "I was implying no such thing my dear Sango, I was merely going to suggest that you take my futon and I will wait outside for Inuyasha."

"Oh…well thank you Miroku, that's very kind of you. Hold on, why do you want to wait for Inuyasha?" She said after a moment and he motioned for her to follow him outside. "I'm sure you have a pretty good idea of where our hanyou friend is at, am I correct?" He asked and Sango nodded with a frown.

"I would like to speak to him about his situation with Kagome further and see if there is more than he is letting on." He explained and Sango nodded in understanding when a thought struck her. "Why don't I wait with you?" She offered and he shook his head.

"I'm sorry Sango, but I fear that if you are here that may become more confrontational. I think it's better if I speak to him alone." He rationalized and Sango nodded, realizing that he was right; Inuyasha was much less hostile when it was just him and Miroku.

"Alright, I guess this is goodnight then, but will you tell me what he says in the morning?" She asked and he nodded, knowing that Sango wanted to get to the bottom of this just as much as he did. "Goodnight my dear Sango, sleep well." He said and she wished him the same before heading back inside. Miroku sighed and sat down, the walls of the hut against his back. He had a feeling he was going to be waiting for a while.

000

It was the most wonderful sensation. She made a discontented noise as soon as it had stopped and she heard someone laugh lightly and she found it odd that it sounded so close and yet so far away.

She was curious as to just who her companion was but she found that she didn't particularly care as the stroking had begun anew. She moaned softly at the gentle touches and she swore she could stay like this forever, especially when she felt the gentle scraping of nails along her scalp.

Kouga stared down at the woman at his side with an amused smile. If he had known that it was this easy to please Kagome, he would've done it far sooner. His smile grew wider as she snuggled in closer to him as he ran his fingers run through her hair, allowing his nails to run along her scalp.

He yawned loudly as he snuggled in closer to her. He'd ended up taking care of the cleanup duties for a good portion of the night before he was able to actually able to return to his den. And yet he hadn't been able to let himself fall asleep just yet, still not fully believing she had accepted him just hours before. It was still dark outside and there was still quite a few hours before the sun would rise, but he just couldn't find it within him to take his eyes off the beautiful creature that lay beside him.

He noticed that she was shivering slightly from the draft coming in from under the pelt that blocked his den from the rest of the cave system. Stopping his ministrations for only a moment, he laid himself down completely, pulling her closer and she snuggled further into him. He sighed contently, feeling her warm breath on his chest as her head rested on his shoulder and Kouga could feel the fatigue finally take over his body as his eyelids drooped shut.

"Mmm, you smell nice." Kagome mumbled out after a moment and Kouga's eyes shot open, looking down at her in surprise. She was still asleep, still curled up against him and after a moment he felt a smirk reach his lips. So she liked the way he smelled huh? He laid a gentle kiss to the top of her head and allowed himself to relax into the furs once again, letting his hand come up to stroke her hair once again, a drowsy smile gracing his lips when she mumbled out his name.

000

In a small hut just outside Inuyasha's forest, sweat glistened off of two figures as they danced a dance as old as time itself. Moans and gasps were the only sounds to be heard as they moved. "Kikyou!" Inuyasha cried out as he reached his climax, the miko soon following him.

"I love you." She said breathlessly when he collapsed onto her, his weight pressing into her cool body. "I love you too." He said after a moment and lifted himself up to kiss her lips softly. "Do you love her as well?" She asked and he knew instantly who she was referring to.

"You know you're the only one for me, and nothing is going to change that, not even Kagome." He said after a few moments of silence and she breathed in deeply when he bent to kiss her again. "Good because I do not wish to share you with anyone." She said and laid her head on his shoulder when he moved to lay beside her.

Inuyasha offered no comment to her declaration, settling to stroke her arm as she laid there against him. Soon all he could hear was her even breathing, indicating that she had fallen asleep. He sighed dejectedly as he glanced over at Kikyou. He had not spoken the truth to her.

In his eyes, he simply could not live without either of them at his side, and therefore he knew he would never be able to choose between the two of them. Yes it was true that he loved Kikyou deeply, but he loved Kagome with just as much fervor.

Kikyou had had his heart in the first place, and even though she had betrayed him all those years ago and all that mattered to him was that she was here now and loved him just as much as ever. It didn't matter to him that she was still dead, an undead puppet of sorts. Hell if he concentrated on it, he would no longer smell the scent of pottery and grave yard soil, but the white plums that she used to smell like when she was alive.

He loved Kagome. She was feisty and had a heart of gold. She loved him despite the fact that he was a hanyou. She was intensely loyal and had even told him that she would stick by his side no matter what. If that was true however, then why did she become so angry when he told her she was not the only one in the picture? She should just accept the fact that he would always need the two of them by his side and come back instead of gallivanting around with that mangy wolf.

It didn't really matter though. That festival thing that the wolf had been spewing about would be over and Kagome would be back by the morning and then he would make her see reason. She would come back to him, she always did and she always would. With that final thought in his mind, he finally let the urge to sleep consume him and curled up against the woman sleeping in his arms.

000

Sango woke up bright and early the next morning and after breakfast, she had volunteered to help Kaede gather some herbs and help the elderly miko as she tended to the villager's needs. Before she left, she peered her head out of the door only to find that Miroku was still up against the wall of the hut, his body slumped in an odd position as he slept.

"Miroku wake up, breakfast is ready." She said shook him gently. He stirred after a few moments with a groan and he stretched, trying to make his body less tense. "Good morning Sango, I trust you slept well?" He asked after a few moments and she nodded. "Did you get to speak with Inuyasha?" She asked and he shook his head. "No, unfortunately I haven't, he never came back. I hope he's alright." He said with a sigh, shaking his head.

No sooner than the words left his mouth, he caught a glimpse of red bounding towards them. Using his staff to balance him, he stood and they waited for Inuyasha to come closer. "So where were you last night? Out with Kikyou I suppose?" Sango asked, a slight bit of venom leaking into her voice and Inuyasha just huffed and crossed his arms.

"So what if I was, what are you going to do about it?" He countered and the two just stood there glaring daggers at each other. "Now now, both of you need to calm down. We were all worried about you Inuyasha, we just wanted to make sure you were alright." Miroku cut in and Sango glared into the monk's back. "Speak for yourself." She muttered before turning to go back into the hut to collect the basket they would need for the herbs.

Inuyasha watched Sango go into the hut before turning his attention back to Miroku. "Where's Kagome?" He asked impatiently, slightly surprised to find that she wasn't up and about yet. "She isn't here Inuyasha, she is still with Kouga." Miroku explained and Inuyasha felt his blood boil.

"What the hell is she still doing there for? I thought she was only going for that stupid festival." He said fuming. "I don't know Inuyasha, maybe the festival is going on longer than you expected it to be." Miroku offered but Inuyasha wouldn't have any of it. She was coming back today, even if he had to drag her out of there. Without another word, he took off in the direction of the wolf clan's den, fully intent on bringing Kagome back with him.

"Well this can't be good." Miroku said with a sigh as he watched Inuyasha get further and further away. "What happened?" Sango asked when she came back out. Miroku turned and looked at her with exasperation. "He's going to get Kagome I believe." He said, letting loose another sigh and Sango gasped. "What's wrong?" He asked and Sango turned to face him. "Kagome told me yesterday that Kouga had plans to ask Kagome to court him. She told me that she was seriously thinking about accepting." She said and Miroku's eyes went wide.

"We need to get there fast before those two wind up killing each other!" He said quickly and Sango once again hurried into the hut, offering quick apologies to Kaede and called Kilala to her, urging her to transform. Soon they were on their way, hoping they would make it in time before the two demons had time to do any real damage.

000

Kagome woke up to the rays of sunshine that had managed to sneak their way underneath the large pelt at the entrance to the den. Putting her hand up to try and shield her eyes, she tried to sit up when she noticed there was something tangled in her hair. She reached up to feel what it was and soon realized that it was a hand.

She glanced over to Kouga quickly with an amused smile before gently detangling her hair from his fingers. With that out of the way she sat up and stretched her arms over her head. It had been a while since she'd slept that good and it left her feeling refreshed and yet she found herself not wanting to leave Kouga's side.

She looked over to him again, seeing that he was still asleep as she took in his form. His hair was down once again and she wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Deciding to quell her curiosity, she reached out her hand and gingerly ran her fingers across the strands, marveling how silky they felt against her fingertips.

She giggled softly when he made a contented noise as she continued to stroke his hair but stopped when he opened his eyes. Kagome took a sharp intake of breath and quickly went to move her hand when Kouga caught it and gave her knuckles a kiss. "Good morning, did you sleep well?" He asked, his voice husky from sleep and she blushed lightly at the sound of it.

"Yeah I did, how about you? Did you sleep well?" She asked and he pulled her in closer to him and she could feel the heat radiating off of his chest as she pressed against him. "Better than I have in years, thanks to you." He said, nuzzling his nose against hers and she blushed at how close they were. She could feel his breath on her lips and she couldn't help but lick her lips nervously.

Kouga seemed to notice her discomfort and pulled away slightly. She studied his face for his intentions and she had grown a bit excited when she noticed that Kouga's eyes kept darting to her lips and then back up to her eyes again. Was he really going to kiss her? And more importantly, was she going to let him do it?

She didn't have any reason not to, they were courting after all. With her mind made up, she decided to make the first move and brought their lips together much to Kouga's surprise. She was a bit clumsy at first, but after some gentle coaxing from Kouga, they had soon gotten into a slow and unhurried rhythm.

Kouga's lips were soft, although slightly chapped and his kisses were confident and strong and yet he was being so gentle as if not to hurt her. She brought up her hand to cup his face and felt a bit of stubble on his chin as she ran her fingertips over his skin. He groaned into her mouth softly and deepened the kiss.

She felt his fingers curl into her hair, cupping the back of her head as he pulled her in closer. She gasped when she felt his canines swipe over her bottom lip and Kouga wasted no time sneaking his tongue into her mouth. She could feel him moving around in her mouth and she tentaviley touched her tongue to his and moaned softly at the sensation.

The feelings he was causing in her were absolutely dizzying and she was loving every minute of it. She had never felt such love, such tenderness and devotion from anyone before and she was quickly becoming addicted to it. By this time, her hands had found their way into his hair and at some point he had moved from her mouth down to her neck with gentle open mouthed kisses. She craned her neck to give him more access and he growled into her shoulder.

"KAGOME! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Came a booming voice from outside and the couple jumped, startled at the interruption. Kouga growled loudly in frustration and stormed up from the bed and turned to Kagome, gently pulling her up to stand next to him. "What the hell is he doing here?!" Kouga growled out and Kagome looked up at him, obviously disappointed. "I'm pretty sure he's here for me." She said before they went to the entrance and Kouga pulled the large pelt aside for her and she slipped out into the main cave.

Not too far away from them stood Inuyasha, holding Hakkaku up by his armor demanding where Kagome was. "Inuyasha! You leave him alone right now!" She commanded, effectively stopping the hanyou in his tracks. "What the hell are you still doing here Kagome? You're supposed to be back at the village where you belong!" He said and Kagome took a step closer to the hanyou, anger marring her pretty features.

"First of all Inuyasha, I will go anywhere I want, whenever I please, and second of all I made no plans on going back to the village anytime soon. Plus, Kouga has asked me to court him and I accepted, and I intend on staying here as long as I please." She said defiantly as she watched Inuyasha turn several shades of red before storming towards her.

"YOU DID WHAT?! YOU CAN'T COURT THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING WOLF! YOU BELONG TO ME!" He bellowed and Kouga quickly came in between the two of them. "She ain't yours dog-boy, she never was." Kouga said, his voice a steely calm as he stood to his full height, glaring down at Inuyasha. "Like hell she ain't! She is my bitch and she always will be no matter what she seems to think." Inuyasha growled out and tried to go around Kouga to grab at Kagome.

"SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!" Kagome yelled out as angry tears streamed down her cheeks. The hanyou crashed into the rock again and again as Kagome repeated the command. Kagome stop, you're going to kill him!" Sango cried out from the crowd that had gathered around them. She gasped as she realized that Inuyasha was not only unconscious, but was now bleeding. How many times had she said it? She had lost count and her eyes now kept darting to the shocked faces of those around her.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt him." She gasped out, her breathing heavy and she fought the tears that threatened to stream down her face. Soon she couldn't take it anymore and she ran past them, she needed to get out of there. She ran and ran, ignoring the voices behind her, calling out to her. She didn't care that she had cut her feet on the jagged rocks or that she couldn't feel her toes because the ground was so cold and she definitely didn't care that all she had on was a t-shirt and shorts.

Soon enough, her legs burned from exhaustion and she sunk to the ground, ignoring the way she was shivering from the cold. She could still hear the voices of her friends calling out to her, but she didn't dare let them know where she was. She had almost killed the man that she had once loved. He was a cheating jerk, but he didn't deserve to die. Her friends must be livid with her now, and how could Kouga even see her in the same light after she had almost killed one of her own comrades?

Hot and suffocating tears streamed down her face and she wrapped her arms around herself. She never paid attention to the voices coming closer, nor did she acknowledge Sango's surprised gasp and her call for Kouga. She barely registered Sango draping her shawl over her shoulders and didn't look up until Sango had wrapped her arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"Kagome are you alright?" She asked worriedly, rubbing Kagome's arms in an attempt to warm her up. She looked up to the slayer's worried face and simply stared at her, her expression filled with regret. "I didn't mean to hurt him Sango, I really didn't. He just sounded so horrible, he talked about me like I was nothing more than a possession." She said after a moment, her voice low and crackling as if she were about to cry again.

"You didn't do anything wrong Kagome, you gave that mutt what he deserved." Kouga said from behind them and Kagome turned to him, her tears blurring her vision. "But Kouga, he was bleeding so badly, he can't possibly be okay after what I did to him!" She sobbed, her distress making it hard to breathe. He kneeled and at her side in an instant.

"Shhh love, it's alright it's not as bad as you think." He said, trying to soothe her, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "W-what do you mean it's not as bad?" She asked, her voice shaky. "The most you did to him was break his nose. Trust me, the mutt wouldn't go down that easily." He reassured her and it seemed to calm her slightly. "Are you sure he's going to be okay?" She asked, the doubt obvious in her voice. "Yes, Kouga has a healer tending to him right now. He'll be fine there's no need to worry. Now why don't we get you back inside where it's nice and warm?" Sango reassured and Kagome nodded weakly and tried to stand only to stumble into Sango.

"Are you going to be alright?" The two of them asked and Kagome smiled meekly at them. "Yeah, I think I just over exerted myself." She said and was about to try and stand on her own again when Kouga scooped her up into his arms and held her close to his chest. "I'll go tell everyone that she's okay." Sango informed him when he turned to leave and he nodded before taking off back to the caves.

In no time at all, they were back inside the warmth of Kouga's den, though Kagome still felt like she was freezing. Kouga noticed her shivers and brought her towards the back of the den. He set her down on a small stool and began inspecting her for any injuries. He was relieved that all she had were a few small cuts on the bottom of her feet.

He began fishing around her pack and pulled out one of her towels and some clothing. She began to wonder what he was doing when he began to remove his wrap and armor. "Kouga! What on earth do you think you're doing?!" She almost shrieked and hurried to cover her eyes, but went completely red when he began to pull off her clothes as well. She was about to hit him when he caught her hand and hoisted her up to remove her shorts.

"We need to get you warm and you can't get in the hot spring alone right now." He stated calmly as if they were talking about the weather and Kagome felt her previous anger ebb at his words, though she was still quite embarrassed. She was glad however that he had left her bra and underwear on and he kept on his loin cloth. He scooped her up gently and waded into the small pool and Kagome hissed slightly when the warm water touched her frozen toes. "You alright?" He asked, stopping in his tracks and Kagome nodded. "Yeah just go slow." She said and he complied, slowly settling them into the water.

Soon the burning sensation had left her hands and feet and she felt the warm inviting heat of the water surround her and she sighed softly at the feeling. After a moment, Kouga set her down on a small ledge under the water and lifted her leg to wash the dirt from her skin. Kagome watched him intently as he finished washing her and reached for her other leg and repeated the action. His touch was soft and gentle and he put her at such ease that she felt like she might fall asleep.

She almost didn't notice when he put her other leg back in the water and moved closer to wash her arms. Kouga watched her carefully as he washed her for any signs of distress or discomfort, the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her away. He was soon finished and moved closer to her still and he reached out to clean off a bit of dirt that had managed to get on her face when she leaned forward and embraced him warmly.

The action slightly surprised him but he smiled and wrapped his arms her none the less. They stayed like that for a long while and Kouga wondered if she had fallen asleep when she hadn't moved or said anything. "Thank you so much Kouga." She said finally, her breath tickling his skin. "For what?" He asked and she hugged him a bit tighter before pulling back to look at him. "For everything you do for me." She said, her voice so soft that if it weren't for his demonic sense of hearing, he wouldn't have heard her.

He smiled and brought a hand up to her face, his finger brushing across her cheek and he felt his pride swell when she leaned into the touch. "You never have to thank me Kagome, I love taking care of you." He said softly before bringing their lips together. He kissed her until she was breathless and she kept up easily with him. He growled softly when he felt her fingers curl into his hair, attempting to bring them closer and he deepened the kiss. His hands traveled down her back and rested on her hips, pressing their bodies closer together.

It was then that Kagome seemed to realize that they were practically naked, making out in a hot spring. Kagome pulled away just far enough to see his face and she rested her forehead on his chest breathing heavily. "Are you alright Kagome?" He asked, worry tingeing his voice and she nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, I just feel a little overwhelmed." She said looking up at him and he pulled her into a hug once again. "Don't feel sorry, we can stop if you want." He suggested and she pulled away slightly.

"Okay, but can we get out now? I'm starting to feel wrinkly." She said and Kouga laughed softly. "Are you still feeling weak?" He asked and Kagome shook her head so Kouga hopped out of the spring first and held his hand out to her. She took it gratefully and he hoisted her up and immediately wrapped her towel around her. He turned to give her some privacy as she dried herself off and changed out of her wet undergarments and into the clothes Kouga had found for her.

She turned to find that Kouga had also dried himself and redressed and she blushed knowing that she had shared a space with a naked man, no matter how briefly or how oblivious she had been to it. Her feet were still cold so she reached into her bag, pulling out a pair of socks and sat on the bedding to put them on when Kouga stopped her. "Wait here." Was all he said before leaving the den only to come back moments later with a small jar in his hand.

He knelt in front of her and gently lifted her foot, dipping his fingers into the jar and scooping out some yellowish looking paste. "What's that?" She asked curiously as he smeared the paste of the small cuts. "It'll help with the healing, do you have any wrappings?" He told her and she pulled her bag closer to her and retrieved her first aid kit. She found the bandages for him and he wrapped the gauze around her foot before repeating with her other foot.

"Okay, now you can put those on." He said, motioning to the socks that were by her side. "Thank you." She said and he leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. "I told you, you don't need to thank me." He said softly and helped her lie back on the bedding. "You should probably get some rest, I'll go get you something to eat." He said after a moment and ran his fingers through her hair. Kagome simply nodded and lied back onto the soft furs as he left the den.

As she waited for him to return, she stared at the large pelt that he had left through. A soft smile soon graced her features as she thought about the young wolf prince. He stirred feelings in her that she hadn't felt in so long, and then some. She found that the longer that he was gone, the more she missed him. She missed his calming presence, his smile, his eyes, hell even his smell, but even more so, she missed his touch.

She lay there and wondered if this was what love was supposed to feel like? It was so much different than how she had felt when she was pining after Inuyasha. Sure she had felt longing and affection for him, but nothing on this level. Maybe it didn't feel the same because Kouga actually expressed his feelings for her and went out of his way to make her feel special. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Kouga come back until she felt him stele on the bedding with her.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked, a cocky smirk gracing his lips. "How wonderful you are for bringing me food." She teased as she took the bowl of rice he handed to her and began to dig in. "So you were thinking about me eh?" He said, his voice taking on the same teasing air as hers had. "You have no idea." She confided in between mouthfuls of the rice. "Oh really? Care to fill me in?" He said, his smirk back in place and she stared at him almost in disbelief. Was he really flirting with her? Of course he was, this was Kouga she was talking about.

"Oh you know I was just thinking that I might be falling in love with you." She replied shyly and Kouga stared at her with eyes wide. He was only teasing her, he hadn't expected her to actually tell him what she was actually thinking. Though with this new information he was glad that he had asked. "So what made you have an idea like that?" He teased and she ducked her head shyly and for a second he was afraid she wouldn't tell him.

"Well, you're sweet, you take care of me, you're nice to me, you're handsome….and you smell nice." She said, adding on the last part in a whisper and hoped that he wouldn't hear her. After a moment she decided to peek at him through her eyelashes and saw that he was positively beaming. "I'm glad to hear you say that, does this mean you wanna be my mate?" He asked and she looked him in the eye. "Honestly I'm not sure yet, but I think in the future I may want to." She said quietly and she swore that his face was going to split in half if he smiled any wider.

"I love you." He said after a moment and she blushed prettily. "I love you too." She admitted shyly and he pulled her in close for a kiss. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that." He said when they separated and she smiled softly, finding that she liked being in love with the wolf prince. "Alright, you should get some rest now." He said, taking her now empty bowl from her and gave her one last peck on the lips before tucking her in and leaving the den.

Oh my goodness so much fluff! Hope you guys had a nice thanksgiving, I know I did mmmm, turkey. Anyways I hoped you guys liked this chapter and remember don't forget to review and all that good stuff and hopefully the next chapter should be out soon! Tootles my dears!


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